Not much has been writin here on AVS and on other website's about the JVC TH-BA1,,,, so here's my take.

I did a mini review of the BA3 a few days ago on another thread here, but this is my mini review for the BA1.

OK,,, I wont make you wait to read a bunch of crap first to find my opinion at the end of this mini review,,,,, the JVC TH-BA1 ROCKS,,,, very very happy with it,,,,, it might even be a keeper,,,, and coming from me, as many of you know, thats a bold statement as I change soundbars like I change underwear.

So on with the details,,, random thoughts,,,, in no particular order.

My room is fairly square with walls on each side of my LED/LCD,,, the soundbars I will mention I have tested in this same room, my side walls are about 7 feet to each side from the bar and my display, one big opening further back on the left wall, with my backwall being about 20' from the soundbar.

I think its important to mention the bars I tried in the same setting as different rooms will react differently in different room shapes and sizes.

"Some" of those bars I have tested/owned in my same living room are the Vizio VSB200WS, Sony CT-100, Sony CT-500, Sony CT-150, Zvox, a Bose Cinemate Series ll (not in a bar shape), and the JVC TH-BA3.
While are the bars I mentioned did not suck by any means, in my opinion the BA1 is the best of all of them.,,,,, (actually, the Bose sounded just OK and the Zvox, for me, kinda sucked).

When it comes to a convincing surround effect the BA1 really does a great job, my test BluRays were IronMan 1 (the opening battle chapters) and the new'est Star Trek (the opening battle chapters).
No surround in the back of the room but lots of well placed surround sound from the side's, Im quite sure if some came over to watch a movie they would be positive that I had speakers mounted on the side walls,,, matter of fact I was really suprised at how good of sound I got off to the sides of the bar, its a big room filling sound that is very close to a discrete 5.1 suround effect.

I have seen a few review's saying the surround effect was not that good with the BA1,,,, I have no idea what bar they were reviewing cuz the surround effects coming from my BA1 are very very good.

Its also important to note that the BA1 is a 4.1 speaker configuration w/sub, so it's more of a real surround than the typical fake surround effect other bars put out.

Overall tone of the BA1 is very pleasing.

Dialog,, very good as well, and the fact that you can turn up the center chanel on the remote is really nice "if" you have any problems hearing the dialog.

I ran an optical directly from my Panasonic BluRay player to the BA1, I set my BD player to LPCM at first,, and then Bitstream,,,,, Bitstream made the bar come to life.

Bass/Sub,,,,, sounded very good but not amazing,,, just very good and matchs the system well.

Love, love love the remote, not cluttered and well laid out with just the right controls needed,,, having the DRC control right on the remote is very cool for late night viewing,,,, other buttons on the remote are,,,,, surround effect's 1 and 2 and off, surround effect level, sub vol, center chanel vol, dimmer, and inputs,,,, thats it, a very simple remote with only the controls you really need.

The manual,,,, I didnt check to see if one was in the box.

Tried the BA1 on my shelf at ear level and then placed the bar above my panel, about 2' above ear level,, as with ALL soundbars the sound was better with the bar mounted higher instead of lower.

Set-up was a snap, it took me longer to take it out of the box then it did to set it up.

No HDMI's you say,,, big deal,,,, I could care less,,,,, matter of fact I prefur using my Vizio panel as my HDMI switcher.

Hook-up for me is my BD player optical into one optical on the bar itself with the BD HDMI into my panel,,,, HD cable box and HD DVD player HDMI's into my panel and then the optical out from my panel to the other optical input on the bar.

Closing thoughts,,, I still plan on picking up the Vizio VHT210 this Sunday when it goes on sale (my local Target has one on hold for me) and I will be comparing it against the JVC BA1 but my thoughts are the Vizio is really going to have to kick ass to sound as good as the JVC,,,, I think the Vizio has an up-hill battle, but who knows,,, the Vizio could suprise me.

Anyhow,,, in the world of ever changing soundbars my new TOP favorite compared to just about everything else I have owned in the past is now the JVC TH-BA1.

If anyone has any questions feel free to post them,,,, I know Im forgetting something in my little mini review.

thanks for the review davyo. my 2 choices were actually between the TH-BA1 and the CT150 when i was thinkin about buyin a soundbar.

so u'r sayin the TH-BA1 sounds even better than the CT150? how long have u had the JVC unit and have u played with it as much as the CT150 to really determine yur conclusions? i would really like to know cuz i'm about to move my CT150 and upgrade to a nicer bar. u said the bass wasn't all that. how did the sub compare to the CT150's?

thanks for the review davyo. my 2 choices were actually between the TH-BA1 and the CT150 when i was thinkin about buyin a soundbar.

so u'r sayin the TH-BA1 sounds even better than the CT150? how long have u had the JVC unit and have u played with it as much as the CT150 to really determine yur conclusions? i would really like to know cuz i'm about to move my CT150 and upgrade to a nicer bar. u said the bass wasn't all that. how did the sub compare to the CT150's?

Im not really saying the JVC sounds better than the CT-150, I think it would fair'er to say "for me" I like the sound of the JVC better,,, and to be even more fair I dont think I gave the CT-150 enough time to really make a definitive judgement.

I really only spent and hour or two with the CT-150 while I spent all of last night playing with and listening to the JVC.

As far as which bar sounds the best, to me its the JVC,,, but if I had I spent more time dialing in the CT-150 perhaps that might not be my opinion.
But then again "even if" I had liked the Sonys sound better I still would have picked the JVC as the overall winner for "my" needs and set-up.

What I can say is I think the JVC has a bigger more convincing surround sound than the Sony CT-150 has.

I think the best way to decide is let the features of each bar make the choice,,, either the Sony or the JVC would make someone very happy thats looking for a soundbar.

Its always a tough call on which soundbar sounds better as they all react differently with different room shapes and size's.

Perhaps this might be the best way to say it,,, I spent some real quality time with the CT-100 and the CT-500 and in my opinion the JVC would be an easy pick for me to say it sounds better,,,, the CT-150 I did not spend as much time with so I really cant say.

thanks for the review davyo. my 2 choices were actually between the TH-BA1 and the CT150 when i was thinkin about buyin a soundbar.

so u'r sayin the TH-BA1 sounds even better than the CT150? how long have u had the JVC unit and have u played with it as much as the CT150 to really determine yur conclusions? i would really like to know cuz i'm about to move my CT150 and upgrade to a nicer bar. u said the bass wasn't all that. how did the sub compare to the CT150's?

I forgot to answer your question on the bass/sub,,,, I think they are both about the same,,,but if I was splitting hairs and had to pick I guess I would say the Sony's sub sounds just a tad bit tighter/cleaner,,,, but then again thats really just splitting hairs.

With all these low cost soundbar set-up's the subs are really going to be equal for the most part as none of these systems are high end audiofile quality.

Hi davyo -
Thanks for the review. I've been looking at the JVC also and I agree with your assessment of its looks. I like the sort of retro 1990s style that it has. I've also read good things about it. How does it compare to the Vizio 200? I will be looking forward to your comparison to the new vizio do out soon, as those are my top contenders for purchase.

Davyo thanks for the review. Was really looking forward to it, and you didn't disappoint. I'm a bit surprised by your positive comments about the sub. Other owners and reviewers haven't been so kind. It certainly felt unusually lightweight when I inspected/played with it at my local Frys.

Music isn't normally a strong point for these types of systems, but the BA1 received high marks from a certain online publication. Have you listened to music yet on your JVC ?

Hi davyo -
Thanks for the review. I've been looking at the JVC also and I agree with your assessment of its looks. I like the sort of retro 1990s style that it has. I've also read good things about it. How does it compare to the Vizio 200? I will be looking forward to your comparison to the new vizio do out soon, as those are my top contenders for purchase.

Hey Corribus,,,,, Its kinda weird but of the few so-called "pro" reviews I read ALL the "pro" reviewers commented on how they did not like the look of the JVC,,, I personly love the look of it,,, and to me it looks very much like the Yamaha YSP4000.

Quote:

Originally Posted by scrope

Davyo thanks for the review. Was really looking forward to it, and you didn't disappoint. I'm a bit surprised by your positive comments about the sub. Other owners and reviewers haven't been so kind. It certainly felt unusually lightweight when I inspected/played with it at my local Frys.

Music isn't normally a strong point for these types of systems, but the BA1 received high marks from a certain online publication. Have you listened to music yet on your JVC ?

Hey Scrope,,,,,,no,,, have not listened to any music on it yet.
Yes, the bar itself is very lightweight.
Glad you liked the little mini review

Quote:

Originally Posted by jjjj

Yeah thanks for the great review. I look forward to the TH-BA1 vs VHT210 shootout. Although I am now very much leaning toward the TH-BA1.

Regarding the price online Amazon had it for 199 last week. After your review it goes to 249. Your review must carry serious weight.

Your welcome jjjj,,,,, yes, Sunday late afternoon will be my Vizio vs JVC at home shoot-out.

Geeze,,, I should have give the JVC BA1 a crappy review to keep the Amazon price down ,,,, what really sucks is the day I bought the JVC BA3 the BA1 was on sale at Frys for 249.99,,,, two days later I go back to Frys to get the BA1 and the sale price was gone and they would not sell it to me for the price it was at 2 days before,, so I ended up paying $313.00 for it,,,,, Ohhh well.

I am not going to hold out for a lower price either. I will order through amazon. Nobody locally carries the TH-BA1. I am on vacation in Chicago, but do not want to haul back home. Oh well fortunately $50 will not break me. It was also worth the wait to get an independant review. I kind of got the feeling the pro reviews were comparing the JVC to much higher priced units.

Thanks for a good review. You have piqued my interest in the BA1. I may order one from Amazon just to try it out. My Vizio was ordered on line from Wal-Mart last year because their on-line price was $40 less than the in store price. I had not actually seen the Vizio in the flesh until it arrived at my door. As I have stated many times, one of the best purchases ever. I still can't get over the reactions that I received from a couple of friends and my son when, after adjusting spl to within about 1db for both, I compared my then Yamaha with the Vizio. Every single person picked the Vizio as the better sounding because of dynamics and clarity and every single one was sure they were picking the Yamaha until I showed them which one they selected.

If you like the BA1 better than your Vizio, and I know you have been very pleased with it, that says a lot.

I like the looks of the JVC also, at least from the pictures I have seen on line.

This is a far cry from the days in the 1970's and 1980's when I took my wife to stores all over the country looking for the Holy Grail of stereo speakers. We spent hours and hours with various vynil recordings of Wagner, Mozart, Brubeck and many others trying to split hairs over which had the most air around the instruments or which produced baritone voices best on opera.

We've come a long way when we can buy something blind, hook it up and enjoy it. Almost like the transistor a.m. radios when I was a teenager in the 1960's.

I am not going to hold out for a lower price either. I will order through amazon. Nobody locally carries the TH-BA1. I am on vacation in Chicago, but do not want to haul back home. Oh well fortunately $50 will not break me. It was also worth the wait to get an independant review. I kind of got the feeling the pro reviews were comparing the JVC to much higher priced units.

Well one thing to consider,,, Amazon is great about returns, you could always get the JVC and also get the Vizio VHT210 and compare them as well,,,it would be nice to see a second opinion on here since I plan on getting the Vizio tomorrow to compare against the JVC,,, which ever bar is the winner of the two I will keep,,, the loser gets returned.

My soundbar search (for the moment ) is nearly at its end,,, the keeper is either going to be the JVC or the Vizio.

By late Sunday afternoon I shall know,,,, and I will be sure to post my thoughts and opinions as soon as they are formed.

But it would be nice jjjj if you were to get both bars as well,,, I would really like to see if my opinions of each bar are also shared by some one else.

I've been reading the remarks here about the Vizio and JVC.
I owned the Vizio VSB200WS for 29 days. Sound was clear and spacious but the soundbar didn't mate well with the sub. The sub was a bit boomy and not well defined. I returned the Vizio before my 30 trial period. Today I received the JVC BA-1. First, the packaging was first class with the JVC whereas the Vizio was really cheap corrugated. I know it has nothing to do with the sound but somebody cared about transporting this item. The bar and sub mate much better. The JVC sub vs. the Vizio isn't in the same league. As Davyo commented, the JVC does have a more direct sound and maybe the surround isn't as good as the JVC. I still need to experiment with that. But the harmony between the bar and sub blends really well. To me, a more coherent soundstage. I always could localize the Vizio; I can't with the JVC and the subs are in the same location.

Also, my cable system remote actually controls the JVC! Very important to my wife...

Anyhow, these are my personal comments. YMMV
I'm very happy with the JVC for $249 on Amazon.

My JVC TH-BA1 will arrive tomorrow. I can not wait to set it up and test it. I am excited.

I purchased another optical cable and plan to hook it up my satelite box and BD directly to the TH-BA1. I will use analog for internet stuff (hulu you tube etc.)

TH-BA1 owners are growing. Davyo maybe you should retitle this thread The Official JVC TH-BA1 Owners Thread

Good idea on the thread title change jjjj,,, I requested the mods to make the change,,,,,

Looking forward to hearing your opinions on the JVC !!!!!

On a side note,,, I now have my BD player set to "Bitstream" and the JVC seems to sound even better than when I had it set to PCM.
When you get the JVC try some different BD settings and see what you think,, Bitstream vs PCM.

Hey davyo, how does the JVC TH-BA1 look? I was going to pick one up at Best Buy to test out, but they didn't have any. I was mainly concerned about the aesthetics.

I did, however, pick up a Sony HT-CT150 just to test out since I've never heard a soundbar before. I'm going to return it in a few days. Why on Earth would I pay $336 when I can get it for like $230-240.

Overall, it's kind of cool. I really like that it isn't fatiguing unlike the Panasonic S2 plasma speakers. That alone is almost worth it. It's got a soundstage to it too!

I heard the JVC TH-BA1 was being liquidated because it's being discontinued.

Hey davyo, how does the JVC TH-BA1 look? I was going to pick one up at Best Buy to test out, but they didn't have any. I was mainly concerned about the aesthetics.

I did, however, pick up a Sony HT-CT150 just to test out since I've never heard a soundbar before. I'm going to return it in a few days. Why on Earth would I pay $336 when I can get it for like $230-240.

Overall, it's kind of cool. I really like that it isn't fatiguing unlike the Panasonic S2 plasma speakers. That alone is almost worth it. It's got a soundstage to it too!

I heard the JVC TH-BA1 was being liquidated because it's being discontinued.

Is there a successor coming out sometime soon?

Definitely interested in the JVC.

Personaly, I think the JVC is a very cool looking soundbar,, a few so-called "pro reviewers" ragged on it looks but I really dont get that.

One negitive I would say though is the little red lights on the front of the bar cant be dimmed,,, not a big deal, but I really wished they could be dimmed like the blue JVC light can be dimmed,,,, one tiny screw-up on JVC's part.

As far as a successor to the BA1, I was on the phone with JVC yesterday and asked them that very question,, they claimed no knowlege of a newer version in the works.

As far as the BA1 being discontinued I would be very suprised if that were the case,, the BA1 seems to be their best selling bar of the 3 models they have out.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jjjj

OK can anyone advise where should I place the subwoofer. I was thinking left hand corner of bedroom.

I would say put it were it sounds the best,,,,,(sorry jjjj, I couldnt resist being a smartass).

Personaly, I think the JVC is a very cool looking soundbar,, a few so-called "pro reviewers" ragged on it looks but I really dont get that.

One negitive I would say though is the little red lights on the front of the bar cant be dimmed,,, not a big deal, but I really wished they could be dimmed like the blue JVC light can be dimmed,,,, one tiny screw-up on JVC's part.

As far as a successor to the BA1, I was on the phone with JVC yesterday and asked them that very question,, they claimed no knowlege of a newer version in the works.

As far as the BA1 being discontinued I would be very suprised if that were the case,, the BA1 seems to be their best selling bar of the 3 models they have out.

I would say put it were it sounds the best,,,,,(sorry jjjj, I couldnt resist being a smartass).

Cheers
Davyo

Cool. I was worried about that red light though. It seems like it could be a distraction.

I just finished setting up my TH-BA1!. I could not start the set up until about an hour ago. I had to make a little shelf for it to sit on top of My Sony TV. I used the anchoring bolts for the wall mount, a piece of white of white pine, and some Velcro. The Soundbar and the TV look like and are now a single built in unit. My only disappointment was I could find no reason to use duct tap. Oh well I will try harder next time.

I also was able to program the directv remote to control the volume, so the wife will be happy as well.

I have not had any time to do a detailed sound review as my daughter stole the TV. Oh well she did help me during installation. From my limited exposure I think it sounds great.

I just finished setting up my TH-BA1!. I could not start the set up until about an hour ago. I had to make a little shelf for it to sit on top of My Sony TV. I used the anchoring bolts for the wall mount, a piece of white of white pine, and some Velcro. The Soundbar and the TV look like and are now a single built in unit. My only disappointment was I could find no reason to use duct tap. Oh well I will try harder next time.

I also was able to program the directv remote to control the volume, so the wife will be happy as well.

I have not had any time to do a detailed sound review as my daughter stole the TV. Oh well she did help me during installation. From my limited exposure I think it sounds great.

I will do a sound write sometime this weekend.

Congrads on getting the JVC,, look forward to hearing your opinions on it.

Regarding the directv remote code. I just used one of the first couple of entries (2nd i believe) listed for JVC. I completed both steps (ie... initial coding then repeat step 2 with 993 + enter). It then controls the volume and mutes. I had no indication of success until after the 993 + enter step. I may try to find a code that controls power as well. I do not believe you will get any more functionality than that.

Well I just finished putting the TH-BA1 through its paces. All I can say is wow. I am very happy. It sounds great.

I used Clash of the Titans on Blue Ray for the test. Sound was routed directly to the soundbar via optical cable. The TH-BA1 went into DTS mode and the room was immediately filled with sound. When Hades materialized at the palace in Argos as a whirlwind, the sound circled around the room. It sounded as if there were definitely speakers to the left and right of me. It reminded me of a theater. I did not get the feeling of sound behind me that my 5.1 set up would have provided. Unless I was listening carefully I doubt I would notice this. The sub-woofer performance really shined on this movie. The sound when Zeus slammed his fist down was thunderous as it should have been. The background sounds were also stellar. For example birds singing, walking sounds, or background music. All these sounds were crisp and balanced with the main sound as a whole. Voice clarity was great.

Performance on my Directv HD-DVR was similarly very good. It also was connected directly to the soundbar via optical cable. I watched parts of Forrest Gump and the Matrix in Dolby Digital for this test. Voice clarity was again great. Background sounds for example wind or crickets were crisp and natural. The sound again filled the room an surround effect was good. For example when Neo awakes in his a Matrix pod, the lightning sounds seemed to be on the left an right of you. The subwoofer performed great in this scene as well. Overall very good performance.

I also watched a little golf you could hear the sand very clearly on a bunker shot. Golf break music was very good as well.

Regarding sound balance: It was almost perfect right out of the box. The treble, midrange, and bass mix was great. The only adjustment I made was to increase the center channel to +1. My 5.1 system had to be adjusted a whole lot more than that. Have others had the same experience?

As you can tell I am very pleased with the JVC. Is it as good as my 5.1 surround system. No it is not. Is it dramatically better than the TV speakers? Without a doubt. I would state that if my TV speakers were a 1 rating and my 5.1 system was a 10 then this sound bar would be an 8. This is pretty darned good! One last comparison: this soundbar blows away an old HTIB that I purchased several years ago.

I bought a soundbar because I was always disappointed when I had to watch a good movie in the bedroom. My kids have pretty much taken over the 5.1 system (teenagers). I also did not like watching sound intensive shows in the bedroom. Now it would be no big deal.

I am by no means an audio expert. I do know what I like and I like the TH-BA1.

Well I just finished putting the TH-BA1 through its paces. All I can say is wow. I am very happy. It sounds great.

I used Clash of the Titans on Blue Ray for the test. Sound was routed directly to the soundbar via optical cable. The TH-BA1 went into DTS mode and the room was immediately filled with sound. When Hades materialized at the palace in Argos as a whirlwind, the sound circled around the room. It sounded as if there were definitely speakers to the left and right of me. It reminded me of a theater. I did not get the feeling of sound behind me that my 5.1 set up would have provided. Unless I was listening carefully I doubt I would notice this. The sub-woofer performance really shined on this movie. The sound when Zeus slammed his fist down was thunderous as it should have been. The background sounds were also stellar. For example birds singing, walking sounds, or background music. All these sounds were crisp and balanced with the main sound as a whole. Voice clarity was great.

Performance on my Directv HD-DVR was similarly very good. It also was connected directly to the soundbar via optical cable. I watched parts of Forrest Gump and the Matrix in Dolby Digital for this test. Voice clarity was again great. Background sounds for example wind or crickets were crisp and natural. The sound again filled the room an surround effect was good. For example when Neo awakes in his a Matrix pod, the lightning sounds seemed to be on the left an right of you. The subwoofer performed great in this scene as well. Overall very good performance.

I also watched a little golf you could hear the sand very clearly on a bunker shot. Golf break music was very good as well.

Regarding sound balance: It was almost perfect right out of the box. The treble, midrange, and bass mix was great. The only adjustment I made was to increase the center channel to +1. My 5.1 system had to be adjusted a whole lot more than that. Have others had the same experience?

As you can tell I am very pleased with the JVC. Is it as good as my 5.1 surround system. No it is not. Is it dramatically better than the TV speakers? Without a doubt. I would state that if my TV speakers were a 1 rating and my 5.1 system was a 10 then this sound bar would be an 8. This is pretty darned good! One last comparison: this soundbar blows away an old HTIB that I purchased several years ago.

I bought a soundbar because I was always disappointed when I had to watch a good movie in the bedroom. My kids have pretty much taken over the 5.1 system (teenagers). I also did not like watching sound intensive shows in the bedroom. Now it would be no big deal.

I am by no means an audio expert. I do know what I like and I like the TH-BA1.

Hey jjjj,,,, nice write up,,,, very glad to hear your happy with the new JVC and also glad to see some one else is as impressed with the JVC as I am.

The BA1 is really a killer soundbar,,, I cant think of anything I dont like about mine,,,, except for the fact you cant dim the little red lights on the bar,,, not a big deal at all though.

The more time I spend with my JVC the more Im am liking it,,, perhaps its getting broken in but I finding I like it even more than my first review I did on it.
I know I was very much on the fence between the new Vizio (that I still have) and the JVC and at one point even decided the Vizio was the better off the two,, but as I have said in this thread before,,, that opinion has changed,,, and I now think the JVC is the best chioce over the new Vizio and the Sony CT's I have also owned.

It's funny, the Sony's get so much love while this JVC goes mostly un-noticed by the mass's and those here on AVS,,,,,,, yea, the Sonys have the HDMI connections but the JVC beats them out in every other respect,,,wireless sub, overall sound, the surround effect, ease of use, LED display and even the looks all are better with the JVC than the Sony CT's.

The JVC BA1 soundbar is the best kept secret here on AVS,,,, thats too bad,,,,,,,,for the folks that are into soundbars and have not heard the JVC they are really missing out.

Thanks for putting the time into sharing your knowledge with us. Just wondering if the Sub can be wired? I had issues with the wireless sub from another brand a year ago. It interfered with internet and the internet with it. The wireless feature is really nice but I am skeptical and really do not need it - looking at the setup with the JVC blu-ray all packaged together for a fair price.

Thanks for putting the time into sharing your knowledge with us. Just wondering if the Sub can be wired? I had issues with the wireless sub from another brand a year ago. It interfered with internet and the internet with it. The wireless feature is really nice but I am skeptical and really do not need it - looking at the setup with the JVC blu-ray all packaged together for a fair price.

Thanks again

Nick

No,, I really dont think there is any way to wire the sub.

Two suggestions,,,

1: Call JVC tech support and see what they have to say about wireless interference with the BA1,,, just because you had problems with another system does not mean you would have the same problems again with the JVC.
(I called JVC last week and it was real easy to get a live, english speaking, person on the phone)

2: Go with a non-wirless set-up,, the Sony CT's would be my first thought.